Tigers' prayer answered in double-OT thriller

OGDEN — They're the kind of shots kids dream of from the first time they pick up a basketball, but they never seem to happen in real life.

But the Orem Tigers got to enjoy two shots-of-a-lifetime Wednesday in their thrilling 56-53 double-overtime upset win over Region 6 champion American Fork in the quarterfinals of the 4A state basketball tournament.

The first came when Orem guard Craig Cusick drilled a tough 3-pointer at the buzzer of regulation to send the game into overtime. But the real dream shot, the one Tigers fans will be talking about for years, was the three-quarter-court prayer that Tanner Lamb banked in at the buzzer of a second overtime to give Orem the shocking win.

"That last shot was lucky, I just chucked it up," Lamb said. "It was awesome. It was indescribable."

While the Orem fans will be celebrating Lamb's amazing shot, American Fork faithful will be talking about the physical play that they believe worked against them — specifically the no-call on a put-back attempt by David Olsen just seconds before Lamb's miracle heave.

With the score tied 53-53 in the second overtime, the Cavemen worked for what they thought would be the final shot. Brenan Davis missed a 10-foot leaning jumper with six seconds remaining and Olsen grabbed the rebound. It appeared Olsen was fouled on his way up with what might have been the game winner.

"In a state tournament, the atmosphere, there were things that weren't being called, but sometimes that's how it goes in a state tournament," American Fork coach Doug Meacham said.

Lamb picked up the loose ball, quickly dribbled out of traffic and let the ball fly from his hip as he was falling down.

"I thought I double dribbled it and then just chucked it up," said Lamb, who says he's had several half-court shooting contests in practice.

The game was a physical one from the start, and Orem coach Mike Conner said his team knew they had to play that way against a physical Cavemen squad.

"I thought American Fork wanted to turn it into a fight, and we fought with them," Conner said.

Orem took a 29-25 lead midway through the third quarter following a 12-3 run and kept the lead until American Fork's Austin Haws rattled home a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left in the fourth to give the Cavemen a 43-41 lead. Haws later stepped to the line, with 16 seconds remaining, hit the front end of a one-and-one but missed the second. Orem came down and Cusick twisted and let fly with a deep trey that dropped right through the net.